HEAD HOLDING MECHANISM AND INKJET PRINTER

• US 20190329574A1
• Filed: 04/23/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,843,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14024 Assembling head parts
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/34 Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages

Abstract

A head holding mechanism and an inkjet printer are provided. The head holding mechanism includes a head holding member that holds an inkjet head, a carriage side member attached to the carriage and to which the head holding member is fixed, and a fixing member for fixing the head holding member to the carriage side member. The fixing member is movably held by the carriage side member. The fixing member is movable between an engagement position where the fixing member engages with the head holding member to fix the head holding member to the carriage side member, and a disengagement position where the engagement state of the head holding member and the fixing member is released and the head holding member is detachable from the carriage side member.

Claims

1. A head holding mechanism that holds an inkjet head mounted on a carriage, the head holding mechanism comprising:

a head holding member, being configured to hold the inkjet head;

a carriage side member, being attached to the carriage and to which the head holding member is fixed; and

a fixing member, being configured to fix the head holding member to the carriage side member,

wherein the fixing member is movably held by one of the head holding member and the carriage side member, and

the fixing member is movable between an engagement position and a disengagement position,

the engagement position is a position where the fixing member engages with the other one of the head holding member and the carriage side member, so as to fix the head holding member to the carriage side member, and

the disengagement position is a position where an engagement state of the other one of the head holding member and the carriage side member and the fixing member is released, and the head holding member is detachable from the carriage side member.

2. The head holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

the fixing member is turnable between the engagement position and the disengagement position with a vertical direction as an axial direction of turn.

3. The head holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

the fixing member is movably held by the carriage side member and engages with the head holding member at the engagement position.

4. The head holding mechanism according to claim 2, wherein

the fixing member is movably held by the carriage side member and engages with the head holding member at the engagement position.

5. The head holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the carriage side member comprises:

a first carriage side member, being fixed to the carriage; and

a second carriage side member, being movably attached to the first carriage side member and to which the head holding member is fixed,

wherein the second carriage side member is turnable with respect to the first carriage side member with the vertical direction as an axial direction of turn or is linearly movable in a main scanning direction, which is a moving direction of the carriage, and a sub scanning direction, which is orthogonal to the vertical direction, with respect to the first carriage side member, and

the fixing member is movably held by one of the head holding member and the second carriage side member.

6. The head holding mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the carriage side member comprises:

a first carriage side member, being fixed to the carriage; and

a second carriage side member, being movably attached to the first carriage side member and to which the head holding member is fixed,

wherein the second carriage side member is turnable with respect to the first carriage side member with the vertical direction as an axial direction of turn or is linearly movable in a main scanning direction, which is a moving direction of the carriage, and a sub scanning direction, which is orthogonal to the vertical direction, with respect to the first carriage side member, and

the fixing member is movably held by one of the head holding member and the second carriage side member.

7. The head holding mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the carriage side member comprises:

a first carriage side member, being fixed to the carriage; and

a second carriage side member, being movably attached to the first carriage side member and to which the head holding member is fixed,

wherein the second carriage side member is turnable with respect to the first carriage side member with the vertical direction as an axial direction of turn or is linearly movable in a main scanning direction, which is a moving direction of the carriage, and a sub scanning direction, which is orthogonal to the vertical direction, with respect to the first carriage side member, and

the fixing member is movably held by one of the head holding member and the second carriage side member.

8. The head holding mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the carriage side member comprises:

a first carriage side member, being fixed to the carriage; and

a second carriage side member, being movably attached to the first carriage side member and to which the head holding member is fixed,

wherein the second carriage side member is turnable with respect to the first carriage side member with the vertical direction as an axial direction of turn or is linearly movable in a main scanning direction, which is a moving direction of the carriage, and a sub scanning direction, which is orthogonal to the vertical direction, with respect to the first carriage side member, and

the fixing member is movably held by one of the head holding member and the second carriage side member.

9. The head holding mechanism according to claim 5, wherein

the head holding member is fixed to the second carriage side member in a state of being positioned with respect to the second carriage side member in a horizontal direction.

10. The head holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

the inkjet head is turnable with respect to the head holding member with the vertical direction as an axial direction of turn, or is linearly movable in a main scanning direction, which is a moving direction of the carriage, and a sub scanning direction, which is orthogonal to the vertical direction, with respect to the head holding member.

11. The head holding mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fixing member holding mechanism that holds the fixing member at the engagement position.

12. An inkjet printer, comprising:

the head holding mechanism according to claim 1;

the inkjet head; and

the carriage,

wherein printing is carried out on a medium.